Barbara Koffron, Fire Marshal
Fire Marshal
Barbara Koffron

Monsoon’s coming.

That has been the theme for the past week on television.  This is the second year the monsoon season became a date certain event (June 15th to September 30th) as opposed to a weather driven event (three consecutive days where the average dew point is 55 degrees).  Monsoon means seasonal change of winds.  Instead of dry air from the west, we get moist air from the southeast.  Given the right conditions we get a lot of wind, a lot of dust and about one-half of our annual rainfall in an intense few storms.

When the storms hit, television weather crews hit streets in search of fallen trees, downed power lines, broken windows and collapsed roofs.  To prepare for the storms, we recommend that you survey your property and take action so your home or business isn’t the site for a breaking news story.

Trim those trees.  Some trees benefit from thinning so they catch less wind and stay upright.  If your trees have grown into power lines contact S.R.P. or A.P.S. regarding trimming.  Don’t do it yourself.

Head to the roof and check the drainage system.  Your roof is designed to carry certain loads such as equipment and people.  It is not designed to hold the additional weight of a lot of water; that’s why your roof drains are so important.  Not a monsoon season goes by without a fire department response to a roof collapse incident.

Once the roof drains are clear, ask yourself, where does the water go once it hits the ground?  Water should be diverted away from your building and special equipment such as generators.  However, water, including rain water, is required to be retained on your property.  Flooding your neighbor’s property or the public street is not acceptable.

If your business depends on a generator for emergency back up for fire protection equipment or business continuity, ensure that all required maintenance has been completed and there is adequate fuel on site.

Check your property for items that could blow away in high wind.  If it doesn’t need to be outside, put it away.  If it needs to be out, designate someone the responsibility for putting it away when storms are near.  Air borne items are not only damaged or lost in storms, they can be dangerous projectiles.  Remember the windows.

Bad storms can be bad news.  Let’s do what we can to make bad storms non-news events.

For more information about fire safety, visit NFPA.

   ~~Barbara Koffron, Fire Marshal  

 

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Last Modified on 07/01/2009 12:43:31